


Graduation Day

by Wolfling



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Stilinski Family Feels, post 3b, rest of the pack mentioned but they don't have speaking parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-04
Updated: 2014-03-04
Packaged: 2018-01-14 14:16:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1269496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfling/pseuds/Wolfling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles just stood there for a moment, looking out at the crowd. Stilinski could tell when he spotted them because he grinned widely and Stilinski knew that his own face was wearing the same expression.</p><p>One of the teachers sitting on the stage behind Stiles coughed pointedly and Stiles ducked his head but didn't stop smiling. </p><p>"Sorry," he said. "I just needed to take a moment to relish the fact that I'm actually standing here. We actually made it to graduation, guys!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Graduation Day

**Author's Note:**

> So this is yet another 'I need everything to be alright for Stiles and everyone because the season is trying to break my heart' fic. If nothing else, this season has been great at inspiring my muse.

Later, looking back, Stilinski would admit that he expected something to go wrong.

He hadn't been the only one, pretty much the whole pack had. Stiles had even made a joke about giant snakes crashing graduation ceremonies and asked if Jackson was planning on visiting. So basically everyone went into this preparing for the worst.

What this meant was that Stilinski was sitting in the audience with a couple of concealed weapons on him. He was sitting beside Chris Argent who he was sure was wearing considerably more. On the other side of Argent was Derek Hale whose claws and fangs were all the concealed weapons he needed.

Stilinski glanced at the Yukimura's sitting a couple of rows behind them and would bet even money on there being at least one or two swords secreted on their persons for the same just in case reasoning. As long as that was all they had; if he never saw an oni again it would still be too soon.

Even Melissa, sitting on the other side of him from Argent, had a stun gun secreted in her purse. He had no idea if her ex was carrying as well, but Stilinski wouldn't be surprised if he was. McCall might not be in the know of what actually was happening in Beacon Hills, but he'd seen enough to know that _something_ was, and that being armed was probably a good idea.

The kids, Stilinski knew, were equally prepared for anything. He'd been privy to more than one discussion about what weapons to bring and how to conceal them under their graduation gowns. He'd had to talk Stiles out of secreting several Molotov cocktails on and about his person -- though Stiles was a lot less awkward than he used to be, the very idea sent visions through Stilinski's mind of his son tripping and accidentally setting himself on fire -- and had offered suggestions on how to bring his rune encrusted bat with him instead.

All in all, Stilinski thought as they watched the kids all parade in to the familiar music of Pomp and Circumstance, if something like Stiles' predicted giant snake did try to crash the ceremony, it would find them well prepared for a fight.

Nothing that wasn't supposed to happen during the opening remarks happened, just the principal saying typical graduation things, the kind of stuff that had been said when Stilinski had been the one graduating, and probably every year before and after.

Then it was time for the salutatorian's speech and he got to watch his son step up to the podium when his name was called. 

If it was possible for someone to actually explode with pride, Stilinski was in danger of doing so. That was his kid up there, his boy, though even to a father's eyes, he appeared far closer to the man he was growing into than the child he had been. Salutatorian of his graduating class. ( _"Sorry it wasn't valedictorian, Dad," Stiles had said when he'd told him. "But believe me that's the best any mere mortal could hope for when they share a class with Lydia Martin."_ )

Stiles just stood there for a moment, looking out at the crowd. Stilinski could tell when he spotted them because he grinned widely and Stilinski knew that his own face was wearing the same expression.

One of the teachers sitting on the stage behind Stiles coughed pointedly and Stiles ducked his head but didn't stop smiling. 

"Sorry," he said. "I just needed to take a moment to relish the fact that I'm actually standing here. We actually made it to graduation, guys!"

There was a ripple of laughter through the audience from those who didn't know everything that had happened in the last few years and thought Stiles was just making a joke. Stilinski knew exactly what his son meant though because he was doing more than a bit of relishing the moment himself.

There had been a time when he'd seriously feared that this day would never happen. That instead of watching his kid graduate, he'd be visiting him in a hospital -- or a graveyard. It had seemed like the most likely outcome for a while and the fact that he got his son back, the same bright, funny, sharp, exasperating, wonderful _Stiles_ he'd always been had made Stilinski start believing in things like magic and miracles and the possibility of happy endings.

(Those things had been a lot harder sell for him than werewolves.)

"So, uh," Stiles continued, looking down at the cue cards he'd brought up with him. "Your valedictorian Lydia and I sort of coordinated our speeches. Graduating means you're thinking about two major things -- the past and the future. I'm taking the first one, reviewing how we got here, Lydia's going to take the second and talk about where we're all going.

"So how do I sum up high school? To quote from one of the books they made us read, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. It also turned out to be _completely_ different from what I'd imagined as an itty bitty freshman. Like you have _no_ idea how different.

"We went through all sorts of important changes," Stiles continued, "and I'm not just talking about growing hair in new places or having to learn to control sudden mood swings once a month. I'm talking about finding your voice and letting everyone hear you, or stepping up and becoming the alpha leader you were always meant to be. I'm talking about learning to use your creativity, that spark of magic that lives inside, about realizing there's a balance we've got to maintain and how and why. I'm talking about growing up."

Stiles then went on to talk about everything that had really happened the past couple of years, but in a way that wouldn't give the game away to anyone who didn't already know. By the time he was recounting the whole nogitsune mess, but making it sound like bad decisions made after having been roofied, Stilinski was having trouble muffling what would seem to be inappropriate laughter to the average person. Looking around he saw he wasn't the only one; everyone who knew enough to know what Stiles was actually talking about seemed to be having much the same reaction. Stilinski also noticed a few others who he hadn't suspected reacting the same way. If nothing else, Stiles seemed to have devised a way of picking out who was aware of the supernatural.

"So now that we've reached the end of our high school years, what is it we take away with us?" Stiles said as he finally began his wrap up. "I can only speak for myself, but hopefully I'm not so different from the rest of you. I'm walking away with a whole lot of new knowledge, only about maybe 20% I learned in the classroom. I've got a new awareness of how much bigger the world actually is, how much more beautiful and terrifying and _amazing_ it can be. I've got a new confidence in myself -- admittedly possibly misguided -- that, even if I can't actually handle everything that life throws my way, I'll at the very least won't go down without a fight.

"And I've got a pack of friends that have pretty much have become family. People who I know would literally put their lives on their line to help me if I ever get into trouble, same as I would do for them. That I think might be more priceless than the rest put together.

"So that's what I'm taking away from my high school years -- knowledge, awareness, confidence and friends. It's my hope that all my fellow graduates are taking away a list made up of similar awesomeness. Thank you."

Stiles stepped back from the podium to a round of applause that was maybe just a smidge more rowdy than appropriate, thanks to Scott and the rest of the pack. And, okay, maybe Stilinski himself was adding to the loud cheering, but hey he was allowed. That was his kid up there being awesome.

The rest of the speeches were far more ordinary and boring, although Stilinski admitted to himself that he was definitely biased. Lydia's was the best out of the rest, and she did indeed talk about the future, being appropriately inspirational although with far less coded messages than Stiles' had been. The pack gave her the same kind of extra applause that they had him.

The pack's loud and enthusiastic cheering (which included Derek, Chris, Melissa and himself) became something of a running theme during the handing out of diplomas. They erupted every time one of their own walked across the stage when their name was called.

"Allison Argent."

"Isaac Lahey."

"Danny Mahealani."

"Lydia Martin."

"Scott McCall."

"Stiles Stilinski."

(Stilinski might've yelled himself hoarse when his son's name was announced, but the others were shouting for him just as loudly. And he couldn't stop grinning even though he was blinking moisture out of his eyes. Damn wind must've blown something into them.)

"Kira Yukimura."

There were lots of other kids who also received their diplomas, but when he looked back later, those were the only ones Stilinski would remember.

The ceremony ended as peacefully and uneventfully as it had began and Stilinski was sure he wasn't the only parent who breathed a sigh of relief as they moved through the crowd looking for their kids.

They found them, as always, clustered together. Stiles was talking to a grinning Scott, words tumbling out of his mouth at breakneck speed, hands flailing around in excitement as he spoke. He broke off mid-word when he spotted his Dad, coming over and hugging him exuberantly. Stilinski hugged him back just as tightly. "You did good, kid."

Stiles stepped back enough to grin at him. "So you liked the speech, huh?"

"That speech was a masterpiece of talking around most of the pertinent facts without actually out and out lying. It's always nice to see you use that particular skill on someone who is not me." He pulled Stiles back into another hug. "I'm proud of you, son," he murmured, for Stiles' ears only. "Your Mom would be too."

Stiles made a wordless sound at that and buried his face against his Dad's shoulder for a second. "And not just because you graduated or that speech you gave," Stilinski continued. "She'd be proud of the man you're growing into."

Stiles pulled back and searched his expression with eyes bright with moisture. "You really think that?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"I don't think it, Stiles. I _know_ it." He watched the effect his words had on his son, and made a mental note to try and talk about Claudia with him more in the future, no matter how hard it was for them both to do so. It was obviously something Stiles needed.

But for now, he changed the subject before either of them could get any closer to bawling in public. This was supposed to be a happy occasion after all. "Come on. Let's get out of here before we find out that the giant snake of yours was just running late."

Stiles snorted in amusement. "Bloodthirsty monsters that are tardy are the absolute _worst_. You're right. Let's go. We've got the pack graduation party at Lydia's to get to."

"You kids still sure you want us parents to come to that?" Stilinski asked, content to let his son celebrate with just his friends if that's what he wanted. It was his day after all.

"Duh," Stiles said, rolling his eyes. "It's a _pack_ party. Course we want you there." He paused. "At least until the underage drinking starts."

"Stiles-"

"I'm kidding!" 

"You better be."

"I am." Pause. "Mostly."

Stilinski sighed. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that last word."

"Probably a good idea. Come on, let's go."

So yeah, even though Stilinski expected something to go wrong, looking back that was one day where everything was just _right_.

**Author's Note:**

> [My tumblr](http://fwolfling.tumblr.com/).


End file.
